Highway traffic marker



Oct. 28, 1941. L; M. WISE 2 ,260,498

HIGHWAY TRAFFIC MARKER Filed Oct. 14, 1938 WITNESSES 1N VENT R.

' ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 28, 1941 HIGHWAY TRAFFIC MARKER Leslie M. Wise, McKeesport, Pa., assignor of onehalf to William L. Kann, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 14, 1938, Serial No. 234,984

2 Claims.

This invention relates to traffic markers of the button-like type that are set in a pavement at spaced intervals to divide it into traffic lanes, and more particularly to markers provided with reflectors for night traffic.

As far as I am aware, no satisfactory traffic marker of this character has been made heretofore. One of the principal difficulties has been that in the winter the highway snow ploughs strike the markers and either dislodge them or break the reflecting buttons with which they are provided. Another disadvantage is that the mounting of the reflector buttons is such that they become permanently obscured by dirt or the paving material itself.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a reflecting traflic marker which can be securely mounted in a pavement, which projects a very short distance above the pavement, which aids in stopping skidding vehicles, and in which the reflector buttons are protected from snow ploughs and are so mounted as to remain substantially unobscured. v

In accordance with this invention a' trafiic marker is formed with a shank adapted to be embedded in a pavement and having a head at its upper end projecting above thepavement. Two opposite sides of the head are provided with recesses for receiving reflector buttons, whereby the headlights of an approaching vehicle cause the marker to appear illuminated at night.

Flanges project laterally from the head between its recessed sides, their upper surfaces being inclined downwardly toward their outer edges so that snow ploughs and the like will not catch on the head of the marker and dislodge it. The end portions of the flanges extend forward beyond the recessed sides of the head so as to guide a snow plough blade up over the reflector buttons without its striking them. The buttons are preferably cemented directly to the walls of the recesses from which they project so as to leave no pockets around them in which dirt can accumulate. The fillet that connects the head with the bottoms of the flanges extends entirely around the head and therefore projects from the lower portion of its recessed sides for the purpose of preventing asphalt-type pavements from working up around the reflector buttons. In order to set the marker as low in the pavement as possible, the lower walls of its button-receiving recesses are disposed below the upper surfaces of the adjoining portions of the fillet which are substantially in the upper plane of the pavement. As the recesses are inclined inwardly and down- Wardly so that the reflector buttons will be directed upwardly toward approaching headlights, the upper' surfaces of the exposed portions of the fillet are provided with inclined grooves in line with the bottom walls of the recesses,"whereby the fillet does not obstruct the outer ends of the recesses. The shank is preferably? enlarged at its lower end to help lock it in the pavement, and is provided with vertical planar surfaces to prevent the marker from turning. The shank is also hollow and open only at its lower end so that if it becomes loose in the pavement and tends to move upwardly, suction will be created within the shank which will help to hold it down.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plarrview of mytraiflc marker; Fig. 2 is a view of one of the reflecting sides thereof; Fig. 3 is a side view of themarker turned from that shown in Fig. 2; and Fig.4 is a vertical section taken on the line -IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Referringto the drawing, a button-like trafiic marker, adapted to be partially embedded in a pavement l to indicate traflic lanesor the'like, has a cylindrical shank 2 the lower end of which is partly encircled by an integral rib 3 that helps prevent the shank from being pulledsout' of the pavement. Integrally formed with the top of the, shank is a head 4 that-projects above the pavement. Two diametrically opposite sides of the head are provided with flat areas or walls 5 from each of which a pair of horizontally spaced recesses 6 extend inwardly. As shown in Fig. 4, each of these recesses is adapted to receivea reflector button comprising a cup-shaped metal reflector I in front of which is mounted alens 8 of glass or other suitable material. In accordance with this invention the diameter of each recess is only enough greater than the diameter of the lens to permit a thin layer of cement 9 to be interposed between them for securing the button in place.

It is a feature of this invention that the marker is prevented from being dislodged from the pavement by snow ploughs or the like striking its head. Accordingly, integral flanges II project laterally from the sides of head 4 between its flattened sides 5, the bottoms of these flanges being adapted to rest on the pavement and their upper surfaces being inclined downwardly toward their outer edges so that if a snow plough strikes the flanges it will be guided upwardly over the top of the head. The end portions of these flanges project forward from the sides of walls 4 of the head so that a plough will be guided by them up over the reflector buttons and thereby avoid breaking lenses 8. As shown in Fig. 1, each flange is substantially arcuate, but the central portion of its outer edge is cut off straight to provide a very low wall l2 (Fig. 3) that may help in stopping the side movement of skidding vehicles.

Connecting the sides of the head with the bottoms of the flanges is a fillet J3 which, in accordance with this invention, encircles the head and therefore has diametrically opposite portions that project outwardly from the flat side walls 5 of the head where there are no flanges. projecting portions of the fillet serveto keep the pavement, especially if it is of a tar composition, from workingup and partly covering the reflec tor buttons. It is desirable that the head project above the pavement no farther than absolutely limiting such projection to substantially inch,

and as the diameter of'the reflector buttons can These 1 necessary, highway regulations in some statesflectorbutton recesses 6 are dipped down below the surface of the pavement throughout their length in order to permit the head to be kept low"(Figs. 2 and 4); To permit the reflector buttons'to be inserted in the recesses and to prevent them from being partially obscured by the por-' tions of the fillet in front of them, the upper surfaces of these fillet portions are provided with grooves 14 which form continuations of the lower' portions ofthe recesses, as shown in Figs. 2 and I 4. Therecesses are inclined inwardly and down-w wardly in the head so that the reflector buttons are tilted upwardly and are thereby disposed more 'directlyin the path of the'light beams from approaching headlights. Grooves 14 are. similarly inclined; The flattened side walls of.

the head are'likewise inclined slightly so that the;

axes of the buttons are atright angles to them.

Because or this and the fact that the snugly fit-; ting buttons project slightly from the recesses, pockets between the buttons and-recess walls, inwhich dirt might becomepermanently lodged, are avoided, --Any loose dirt that may start to, accumulate in-front of :the lenses will besucked therefrom by tire'srolling overthe depression in the marker in which the lenses-are housed.

The marker is prevented from turning in the,

pavementand carrying the reflector buttons out,

of correct position by flattened areas I 6 formed in the sides of rib 3 at the bottom of the shank. The

reflectivityof the marker is increased and as-k,

sured to some extent even though the lenses are broken, by providing thehead with a notch 'll' between each pair-of reflector buttons, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The sidesof this notch are l keptv polished by tires running overthem, and.

they reflect light beams that may not strike the reflector buttons in sucha'way as to be reflected,

A traffic marker made in accordance with this.

invention can not only be securely mounted in a pavement, but it is so formed that there is slight likelihood of its being dislodged. The reflector buttons are so positioned that they are protected from breakage without danger of being obscured by dirt and the like.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment-s. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim: I

1. A traffic marker comprising a shank adapted to be embedded in a pavement, a head at the upper end of the shank for projecting above the pavement and having two opposite sides provided with inwardly and downwardly extending re cesses, flanges projecting laterally from the head between said recessed sides and having upper sur faces inclined downwardly toward their outer,

joiningportion of the fillet, said upper surface of the fillet-being adapted tobe disposed subj stantially in the plane of the uppersurface of the pavement, said upper surface being provided with a groove extending inwardly and downwardly to each recess, and reflector buttons mounted in said recesses with the bottoms]v of their outer ends belowsaid upper surfaces of the adjoining fillet. I M v 2. 'A'traffic marker comprising a, central shank adapted to be embedded in a pavement, a head at the upper end er the shank for projecting,

above the. pavement and having two opposite sides each provided with a pair of inwardly and downwardly extending recesses, flanges projecting laterally from the headbetween said recessed sides and having end portions projecting forward from the sides of said recessed sides, the upper surfaces of the flanges being inclined downwardly toward their-outer edges, a shelf-like projection inwardly and downwardly to the adjoining re-., cessesjand reflector buttons mounted in said reextending across eachrecessed side between the adjoining end portions of the flangestheupper surface of each shelf-like portion being disposed in a plane above the bottom of the outer ends of the adjoining recesses and adapted to be disposed. substantially in the plane of'the upper surface of 3 a pavement, said upper surface of each shelf-like portion being provided with groovesextending cesseswith their outer ends partly below the upper surfaces of said shelf-like portions.

' LESLIE M. wise. 

